Saturday, 6 February 2016

A Timeline of Sanskrit literature

Color KeyBlue rectangle - Ruling dynastyGreen rectangle - Poet or author and compositionRed letters - name of book (kaavyam)Black letter - poet's nameBlue letter - name of poet who was also the king thenItalics - BrhatKaavyamThis is a rough timeline of some medieval literature in Sanskrit - this was borne out of trying to understand if there are connections between literature and sculptural art, during our Tamil Heritage Trust's October 2015 to January 2016 preparatory meetings for our Site Seminar of Chalukya sites, Badami Aihole Pattadakal and Mahakuta, which we just finished in January 2016.One interesting discussion was about LaghuKaavyam and BrhatKaavyam.Bhaaravi's Kiraataarjuniyam, Maagha's Sishupaala Vadham which are roughly contemporary and the much later Naishada Charitam of Sriharsha are considered BrhatKaavyaas (Big epics). Other works are considered LaghuKaavyas (smaller stories). A beautiful poem in Sanskrit links these poets and their styles with Dandi, a poet in the Pallava kingdom, who composed Dasakumara Charitam and Avanti Sundari Katha.

उपमा कालिदासस्य भारवेः अर्थगौरवम् ।

दण्डिनः पदलालित्यं माघे संति त्रयंक्वचित् ॥

upamaa kaalidaasasya bhaaravEH arthagauravam

dandinaH padalaalityammaaGhE santi trayamkvacit

For metaphor Kalidasa

Profound Meaning, Bharavi

For Wordplay Dandi …

Maagha, for all three!

I think timelines help us visualize or order history better than text,